Negative Celiac Tests

At my last oncologist visit, we discussed the connection between myeloma and celiac disease (gluten intolerance). Because one of my sons has celiac disese, he ordered a few extra tests to be drawn the very next day. Here are those results:

Test Name	Result	Ref Range
Endomysial Antibody IgA	Negative	Negative
Gliadin Antibodies IgA	< 1.0	< 20.0 U
Gliadin Antibodies IgG	< 1.0	< 20.0 U
Tissue Transglutaminase IgG	3.0	< 20.0 U
Tissue Transglutaminase IgA	7.3	< 20.0 U

The tests labeled "gliadin antibodies" are also labeled "deamidated gliadin."

The first test, Endomysial Antibody IgA (EMA) is considered very specific for celiac disease, with almost no false positives or false negatives according to a Canadian study.

All tests were performed in a Mayo Clinic laboratory.

It appears that I DO NOT have celiac disease, although there are still two unresolved questions:

• I had been on a gluten-free diet for two months before these tests were drawn. Should I have eaten wheat before the tests, as a "gluten challenge"?
• Is it still possible that I have a subclinical case of celiac disease that causes inflammation if I eat gluten?

If the answer to either question is "yes," then I should continue the gluten-free diet. Otherwise, maybe it doesn't matter. It's a healthy way to live, but it's a lot of work and it's hard to eat out.


Recent lunch: Organic swiss chard with pistachios and cranberries, organic polenta, organic Braeburn apple, organic medjool dates.

Regimen Correction

When I first posted my myeloma treatment regimen below (today), it included 1600 mg of LEF Super Bio-Curcumin. Since then, I've taken the LEF curcumin out of the mix. Here's why:

• Another user of LEF Super Bio-Curcumin posted negative results on Beating-Myeloma.org.
• My own results with the LEF curcumin were equivocal, at best, though I previously had positive results using only "regular" C3 Complex.

LEF Super Bio-Curcumin is reputed (by LEF) to have approximately seven times the bioavailability of regular curcumin. But does this come at a cost? Whatever is done to the curcumin to enhance its bioavailability, is it possible that the result is not as good for combating myeloma? Or worse, could it possibly even strengthen the myeloma somehow? Or, is it possible that there is an optimum concentration of curcumin in the blood, and that we both exceeded that?

Whatever, Sunshine points out that there are two negative responses with LEF Super Bio-Curcumin, and no positive responses that we know of (PLEASE correct me if you have more data). In contrast, there is abundant positive data for C3 Complex. There may be nothing at all wrong with LEF curcumin, but I am not in the mood to be a guinea pig, and for now I will discontinue the LEF and return entirely to C3 Complex. Today's earlier post is already corrected to reflect that change.

Myeloma Treatment Regimen

I saw the naturopath more than two weeks ago. Now I'm feeling a little guilty that I haven't already implemented all of her recommendations, because my Mayo visit is only about four weeks away, not a lot of time to see results from the enhanced regimen.

Nevertheless I can't start any sooner than today, so here goes the new supplement regimen:

	Daily
Supplement	Quantity
Coenzyme Q-10	200 mg
Curcumin, NSI	4640 mg
Curcumin, Dr Best	4000 mg
EGCG	1750 mg
Feverfew	1600 mg
Flaxseed Oil	1000 mg
Genistein	70 mg
Quercetin	4000 mg
Reishi Mushroom	3000 mg
Resveratrol	400 mg
Selenium	200 mcg
Vitamin D	5000 iu
Vitamin K	8.1 mg

This is divided into a morning dose and an evening dose, in both cases at least a half hour before a meal. For more details including brand names, sources, and supplements intended to treat other health conditions, visit this page.

In addition to the supplements, other lifestyle choices may help hold off the cancer:

• Low-dose naltrexone.
• Diet intended to minimize inflammation:
  • No beef or pork,
  • Free-range bison only once every week or two,
  • Fish (especially wild-caught salmon) or chicken every other day or so,
  • Lots and lots of different and colorful vegetables and fruits, in season when possible,
  • Lots of nuts, especially tree nuts of all kinds,
  • Gluten-free,
  • Treats, when required, are nuts, fruits, and a little bit of dark chocolate,
  • No exceptions!
  • If you've seen my food pictures, you won't feel sorry for me.
• Exercise galore, especially aerobic but also resistance,
• One gluten-free beer every evening,
• Plenty of lovin'. :-)

For what it's worth, that's the regimen. I'll let you know in a month or so how it's going.



Recent salad: Organic salad greens, cucumber, Danish blue cheese, avocado, organic medjool dates, jicama, roasted pistachios, raspberry vinegar and a dash of olive oil, organic apple, naval orange.